The present invention relates to testing devices for motor vehicles, and more particularly, to testing devices which are capable of acquiring data relating to an amount of force required to move a manually movable member operatively associated with a motor vehicle.
In the automotive industry, manufacturers are constantly striving to enhance the comfort and ergonomics of motor vehicles. Substantial measures are taken to provide comfortable seating and to position various components, such as the steering wheel, seat belts, seat reclining mechanism, radio, mirror adjustment, window adjustment, door handle, and other components which are operated during ordinary use of a motor vehicle.
In more recent years, even further steps have been taken to make the motor vehicle with optimal ergonomic characteristics. For example, motor vehicle manufacturers are now in the practice of measuring the resistive forces associated with operating one or more manually movable vehicle components. More specifically, several manufacturers utilize a hand-held, peak load electronic scale for measuring the peak load or peak force associated with pivoting a spring biased exterior door handle of the motor vehicle. The purpose of obtaining such information is to enable the motor vehicle manufactures to characterize the force expended during manual operation of such manually movable components and to ascertain whether the force expended falls within a certain range.
The conventional hand-held device is typically provided with a handle engagement member, substantially in the form of a hook for catching the vehicle door handle, and a main housing, which houses circuitry for obtaining a peak load reading. Such hand-held devices are available from John Chatillon & Sons Inc., of Kew Gardens, N.Y. (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,489 for a disclosure of the type of circuitry which may be used in such hand-held devices). In use, an operator holding the hand-held device housing engages the hook-like engagement member and pulls the device housing in an appropriate manner to cause the engagement member to forcibly pivot the vehicle door housing about its axis.
A number of problems are associated with the aforementioned hand-held device. For example, because the device is manually operated, the obtained results are not repeatable with an acceptable degree of accuracy. More specifically, in use, the hand-held device may be manually pulled at different angles, through different ranges of movement, and at different speeds, which may all effect the peak load reading. In addition, even if an accurate force measurement is taken, the acquired data only corresponds to a peak load measurement, and does not provide a measurement that characterizes the force utilized in moving the manually movable handle throughout the range of movement. Obtaining force measurements characterizing the force required to move various manually movable members through a full range of movement would provide information that can be useful in engineering and designing the various linkages or elements which have an effect on the forces associated with moving such manually movable members throughout said full range of movement. There is therefore a need for an apparatus that will provide more accurate and repeatable measurements and will more fully characterize the force utilized in moving a manually movable member of a motor vehicle through its full range of movement.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to fulfill the need expressed above. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, this objective is achieved by providing an apparatus for acquiring data relating to an amount of force required to move a manually movable member operatively associated with a motor vehicle through a predetermined range of movement. The apparatus includes a movable assembly constructed and arranged to be able to engage the manually movable member through the predetermined range of movement of the manually movable member. A drive mechanism is constructed and arranged to drive the movable assembly so that the movable assembly applies a force to the manually movable member and moves the manually movable member through the predetermined range of movement so as to generally simulate a predetermined manual movement of the manually movable member. Circuitry is operatively connected with the movable assembly for generating electrical signals indicative of the force applied to the manually movable member by the movable assembly during the predetermined simulated manual movement of the manually movable member through the predetermined range of movement. In addition, a data processing system is responsive to the electrical signals generated by the circuitry for generating data indicative of the force applied by the movable assembly to the manually movable member during the predetermined simulated manual movement of the manually movable member through the predetermined range of movement.
In two embodiments, the apparatus includes a movable assembly constructed and arranged to engage a manually movable member in the form of a spring biased motor vehicle door handle and to move the vehicle door handle against the bias thereof.
In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a movable assembly constructed and arranged to engage a manually movable in the form of a key which is disposed to be inserted into an associated motor vehicle key cylinder against the frictional engagement between the key and the associated key cylinder.
In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a movable assembly constructed and arranged to engage a manually movable in the form of a key disposed within an associated motor vehicle key cylinder and rotatable against the yieldable resistance of the key cylinder.
In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a movable assembly constructed and arranged to engage a manually movable in the form of a motor vehicle inside door lock knob.
In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a movable assembly constructed and arranged to engage a manually movable in the form of a rotatable vehicle window handle.
In three other embodiments, the apparatus includes a movable assembly constructed and arranged to engage a manually movable in the form of a motor vehicle door.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method by which the force utilized in moving a manually movable member of a motor vehicle can be more fully characterized by comprehensive data indicative of the force utilized in moving the manually movable member throughout a predetermined range of normal manual movement. To accomplish this object, the present invention provides a method for acquiring data relating to an amount of force utilized in moving a manually movable member operatively associated with a motor vehicle throughout a predetermined range of normal manual movement of the manually movable member comprising. The method comprises moving the manually movable member through the predetermined range of normal manual movement; generating a progression of electrical signals based on an amount of force utilized in moving the manually movable member through the predetermined range of normal manual movement; and processing the progression of electrical signals to derive data indicative of the amount of force utilized in moving the manually movable member throughout the predetermined range of normal manual movement.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, several embodiments of the principles in accordance with the present invention.